Fast5 Netball set to level the playing field

The Protea Netball team’s success at the Fast5 World Series in Auckland over the weekend serves as a resounding endorsement to the new concept.

Unlike tradition netball, Fast5 sees each team fielding five instead of seven players, which does away with the wing attack and wing defence positions. But perhaps the most exciting feature has to be the introduction of scoring zones, which awards points according to the difficulty of the shot. One point is awarded for an inner circle shot, long-range attempts from inside the circle get two points and the coveted three points go to shots from outside the circle doubling to six points during a power play.

The Inaugural Fast5 tournament saw the Proteas battle it out against the top five leading netball nations, Australia, New Zealand, England, Jamaica and Malawi. After three days of competition, the Proteas clinched bronze behind England, while with the dominant New Zealand Ferns collected gold. With Australia failing to live up to expectations and finishing in last place, the highlight of the tournament has been the success of emerging African nations South Africa and Malawi.

Under Fast5 coach Lana Krige, the Proteas demonstrated a quiet confidence, which saw them brush aside tournament favourites Australia to progress to the semifinals. The Proteas’ success has undoubtedly been a team effort with superb shooting by Chrisna Bootha and Maryke Holtzhausen, excellent ball movement by centre court players captain Simnikiwe Mdaka and Bongiwe Msomi, as well as great goalkeeping by rising star Vanes-Mari du Toit. South Africa’s bronze medal win is the country’s best international performance since winning silver against New Zealand at the World Championships in Birmingham back in 1995.

Meanwhile neighbours Malawi have also elevated their game to new heights thanks to increased government funding and support. Having stunned many pundits with their gutsy performance and victories over Australia and England, Malawian captain Caroline Mtukule and teammate Mwai Kumwenda have now been tipped to become the first African players to feature in the prestigious ANZ Championship next season.

While the Inaugural Fast5 tournament has been a success, it is not without its critics. Many have questioned the wisdom of investing in the spin off version given the widening gap between the top four leading nations and the rest in the traditional game. There are concerns that netball globally has not yet matured fully in terms of its reach and cannot therefore sustain two formats. Drawing in the crowds also continues to be an uphill battle as indicated by the rather disappointing turnout in the first two days of competition. The final day of play told a different story though as a near-capacity crowd of 5,500 revelled in the fast-paced action and carnival atmosphere.

New Zealand Hall of Famer, Dame Lois Muir has come out in full support of the new series describing it as an exciting work in progress. According to Muir, wing attacks and wing defences need not fear for the future, as Fast5 won’t take over the traditional game, but merely attract a different style of athlete. Advocates of Fast5 argue that it serves as a means of bridging the gap between developed and developing netball countries while also providing new commercial opportunities which benefit the game as a whole much like the rugby sevens circuit or cricket’s Twenty20 format.